A Christian
Jesus prayed,
“My prayer is not for them alone(His disciples).
I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
John 17:20,21.
When the people around you look at your life and actions do they see Jesus?
The prayer of Jesus here is for not only his disciples but for those who believe in Him because of what they said. That includes all who claim to be Christians.
So the question is when people look at you, do they truly see Jesus. OR are you by your life and actions turning people away from Christ?
Francis of Assisi said,
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.”
Francis of Assisi.
So what is your sermon telling those around you?
I live in North America and I see a lot of things done in the name of Jesus that He would never have done.
Do you realize Jesus never voted. Nor did he belong to a political party or express His political beliefs. He never demonstrated against anything whether they were right in God’s sight or not. Nor did His disciples.
Billy Graham said of Christ’s disciples,
“The men who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.”
Billy Graham.
Think about it, without raising a sword, without belonging to a political party without protesting against anything or for anything those disciples and those who truly followed Christ turned the world upside down. As a result of their work founded in love for their God, their neighbour and even their enemy they have reached every corner of the world.
The early disciples did it while under the reign of Nero one of the worst persecutors of Christians.
Sadly today those claiming to be Christians particularly in the United States mix their faith with politics. They are known for what they are against not what they are for. This should not be so.
Matthew records,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20.
We cannot follow that command if we mix politics and our faith. We cannot do it if we are seen as being against anything.
Living in the secular democracy in which we here in North America offers us a great opportunity to reach millions of people.
Sadly it also gives us the opportunity to pollute our message with seemingly good things like our political views and demanding of “our rights”.
Think about it Jesus never demanded His rights when before Pilate. His disciples had some rights under Roman law but we don’t see anywhere in the scriptures them demanding “their rights”.
If we look at the early Church we see them preaching the unadulterated message of the Gospel of Christ.
The apostle Paul said,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2Timothy 4:3,4.
The way I see it the job of the Christian is not to worry about “their rights” or who is the best politician to be in power.
History has proved that despite having no rights and people opposed to Christianity in power Christianity has flourished and resides today even in places where it is most persecuted.
The job of the Christian is clear. We are to win souls for Christ. We are to teach them all we as Christians have been taught about God, Jesus and The Way to heaven.
A great light is upon the Christian. The eternal resting place of those we meet may depend on what we say and do.
Please think about it.
Jesus prayed,
“My prayer is not for them alone(His disciples).
I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
John 17:20,21.
When the people around you look at your life and actions do they see Jesus?
The prayer of Jesus here is for not only his disciples but for those who believe in Him because of what they said. That includes all who claim to be Christians.
So the question is when people look at you, do they truly see Jesus. OR are you by your life and actions turning people away from Christ?
Francis of Assisi said,
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.”
Francis of Assisi.
So what is your sermon telling those around you?
I live in North America and I see a lot of things done in the name of Jesus that He would never have done.
Do you realize Jesus never voted. Nor did he belong to a political party or express His political beliefs. He never demonstrated against anything whether they were right in God’s sight or not. Nor did His disciples.
Billy Graham said of Christ’s disciples,
“The men who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.”
Billy Graham.
Think about it, without raising a sword, without belonging to a political party without protesting against anything or for anything those disciples and those who truly followed Christ turned the world upside down. As a result of their work founded in love for their God, their neighbour and even their enemy they have reached every corner of the world.
The early disciples did it while under the reign of Nero one of the worst persecutors of Christians.
Sadly today those claiming to be Christians particularly in the United States mix their faith with politics. They are known for what they are against not what they are for. This should not be so.
Matthew records,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20.
We cannot follow that command if we mix politics and our faith. We cannot do it if we are seen as being against anything.
Living in the secular democracy in which we here in North America offers us a great opportunity to reach millions of people.
Sadly it also gives us the opportunity to pollute our message with seemingly good things like our political views and demanding of “our rights”.
Think about it Jesus never demanded His rights when before Pilate. His disciples had some rights under Roman law but we don’t see anywhere in the scriptures them demanding “their rights”.
If we look at the early Church we see them preaching the unadulterated message of the Gospel of Christ.
The apostle Paul said,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2Timothy 4:3,4.
The way I see it the job of the Christian is not to worry about “their rights” or who is the best politician to be in power.
History has proved that despite having no rights and people opposed to Christianity in power Christianity has flourished and resides today even in places where it is most persecuted.
The job of the Christian is clear. We are to win souls for Christ. We are to teach them all we as Christians have been taught about God, Jesus and The Way to heaven.
A great light is upon the Christian. The eternal resting place of those we meet may depend on what we say and do.
Please think about it.
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